History of Darrington

Darrington, Washington's History

The upper Stillaguamish valley where Darrington is now located was once settled by the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe in the drainage of the Sauk, Suiattle and White Chuck rivers for many generations. They were a people of the rivers and the mountains gathering from nature what they needed to sustain life. Their canoes were crafted from a single cedar log and their skills at navigating the rivers with their dugout canoes is still considered legendary in the Darrington area.

In 1870 a group of surveyors working for the Northern Pacific Railroad came to the area to chart a pass over the Cascade Mountains to the Wennatchee Valley and they encountered the Sauk-Suiattle tribe. Tribal members helped them to find a pass over the mountains, but in spite of this the Northern Pacific Railway chose a route farther south.

Gold was discovered in the Summer of 1889 and prospectors
flooded into the Cascade Mountains seeking their fortune. Many of the
prospectors traveled from the Skagit River south to Monte Cristo on foot
and later a road was punched all the way through making it easier to
bring in equipment. The location where Darrington is now became a half
way point and good place to camp. Prospectors began to explore the
local mountains and a boomtown called "Starve Out" came about. It was
July 22, 1891 that the townspeople filed paper work to get a post office
and the name Darrington was chosen.

There is a historical marker in Darrington that marks where the old road once came through town, photo by Martha Rasmussen

The Northern Pacific Railroad came to Darrington
June 1, 1901. The idea was to bring the train out to these parts so that
all the gold ore could be shipped to the stamper in Everrett. Many
claims were made in the surrounding mountains, but most of the
prospectors had little to show for all the hard work, and many drifted
northward to the Klondyke gold rush.

With the train reaching Darrington, this opened up the possibilities of timber harvest. Several small
sawmills started up in the area and with them small towns and
communities. In 1905 the Bureau Of Forestry, (now the U.S. Forest
Service) began surveying valuable timber lands and buildingfire lookouts
to safeguard against fires. The mountain peaks surrounding the
Darrington area were dotted with fire lookouts, many of the recreational
trails that hikers enjoy in the area today were once the roads and
trails to these lookouts. Today only 4 lookouts remain. Over the years
most of the small sawmills closed or merged with the large mill in
town, which is now Hampton Lumber Mill.

Darrington incorporated in October 15,
1945 and built a new city hall. The city hall housed city clerk and
mayor's office, fire department and a community center with a dance
floor up stairs. It was the same year that the town started a tradition
that would last for decades called the "Timberbowl" with its grand
parade, logging competitions, great bluegrass music and the Timberbowl
Queen and her princesses. It all started out as a fundraiser to buy a
new fire truck to put in the new city hall. The first Timberbowl dance
was held upstairs in the new community center.

The people of Darrington and our neighbors
to the north, the Sauk-Suiattle tribe, hold history, heritage and the
love of the outdoors close. Today timber harvest is still an important
part of the economy as well as the vast outdoor recreational
opportunities surrounding the area. Many people come to the area to
explore hundreds of miles of wilderness trails or enjoy one of the many
special events in the area like Darrington's famous Bluegrass Festival.
Darrington has seen many changes over the years, the train tracks that
once connected us with the rest of the world were torn out in 1994 to
make way for the new Whitehorse Rails-To-Trails.